FC Haka

Valkeakosken Haka
Full name Valkeakosken Haka
Nickname(s) Haka
Founded 1934
Ground Tehtaan kenttä,
Valkeakoski
Ground Capacity 3,516 seats
Chairman Marko Laaksonen
Manager Kari Martonen
League Ykkönen
2014 Ykkönen, 5th

FC Haka is a Finnish football club, based in the industry town of Valkeakoski. It is one of the most successful clubs in Finland, with nine Finnish championships and 12 Finnish Cup wins.

History

Haka has historically had close ties with the paper industry in the Valkeakoski area, and it is still sponsored by UPM Kymmene.

The club was founded as Valkeakosken Haka in 1934. In 1949 it was promoted to Finland's top division Mestaruussarja (now called Veikkausliiga), and in 1955 won the inaugural Finnish Cup.

The 1960s was the most successful era in the club's history, winning both the league and cup three times, including the first double in Finnish football history in 1960. The club was relegated in 1972, but came straight back, and won the double again in 1977.

The club's name was changed to FC Haka in the early 1990s. Haka won the title again 1995, but was relegated the next season. Keith Armstrong was hired as the new coach, and the club came straight back again, winning three straight championships from 1998 to 2000. Goalkeeping legend Olli Huttunen succeeded Armstrong as coach in 2002, and has already led the club to the championship (2004) and two cups (2002 and 2005).

Haka's best performance in UEFA competition was in the 1983–1984 season when they reached the quarterfinals of the Cup Winners' Cup, losing to eventual winners Juventus 0–2 on aggregate. The club has been involved in European competitions every year since 1998, the streak ending in 2008–2009 season.

In the recent years the club's financial situation has deteriorated on two different occasions (like many other small market teams in Veikkausliiga). The first one was the 2008–09 season when a group of investors led by local businessman and restaurateur Sedu Koskinen (owner and founder of a nationwide night-club chain) formed FC Haka Oy to help an essentially bankrupt team to finish the season. In 2010 Sedu Koskinen left, after having put around 1 million euros of his own money into the club.

Since then the club's operations have been reformed to make it financial sound or at least not running on deficit. The team, having been one of the most successful and high stature in Finland, had been on run of deficit for several years during the 2000s. At the same time the overall economic situation in the world and also the sponsorship payments from UPM Kymmene diminished. This forced the club to rationalize its operations and adopt a new role as one of the smaller clubs in Finnish top flight football. The current situation at the start of 2012 Finnish football season is described by the current chairman and board members as difficult but stable.

These times of financial struggles have seen the club move from a perennial championship challenger to a team usually poised for relegation. Both 2011 and 2012 the pre-season media predictions have placed the club in the bottom three. Haka finished last in the standings in 2012 and were relegated to the Finnish First Division.

Honours

European campaigns

Season Competition Round Country Club Score Agg.
1961–62 European Cup First round Belgium Standard Liège 1–5, v 0–2 1–7
1963–64 European Cup Preliminary round Luxembourg Jeunesse d'Esch 4–1, v 0–4 4–5
1964–65 European Cup Winners' Cup First round Norway Skeid Fotball 0–1, v 2–0 2–1
Second round Italy AC Torino 0–1, v 0–5 0–6
1966–67 European Cup First round Belgium RSC Anderlecht 1–10, v 0–2 1–12
1970–71 European Cup Winners' Cup First round Bulgaria CSKA Sofia 0–9, v 1–2 1–11
1977–78 UEFA Cup First round Poland Górnik Zabrze 3–5, v 0–0 3–5
1978–79 European Cup First round Soviet Union Dynamo Kiev 0–1, v 1–3 1–4
1981–82 UEFA Cup First round Sweden IFK Göteborg 2–3, v 0–4 2–7
1983–84 European Cup Winners' Cup First round Republic of Ireland Sligo Rovers 1–0, v 3–0 4–0
Second round Sweden Hammarby IF 1–1, v 2–1(aet) 3–2
Quarter-finals Italy Juventus 0–1, v 0–1 0–2
1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup First round Soviet Union FC Torpedo Moscow 2–2, v 1–3 3–5
1989–90 European Cup Winners' Cup First round Hungary Ferencvárosi TC 1–5, v 1–1 2–6
1996–97 UEFA Cup First qualifying round Estonia FC Flora Tallinn 2–2, v 1–0 3–2
Second qualifying round Poland Legia Warszawa 0–3, v 1–1 1–4
1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Qualifying round Wales Bangor City 2–0, v 1–0 3–0
First round Greece Panionios FC 0–2, v 1–3 1–5
1999–2000 UEFA Champions League First qualifying round Faroe Islands HB Tórshavn 1–1, v 6–0 7–1
Second qualifying round Scotland Rangers 1–4, v 0–3 1–7
2000–01 UEFA Champions League First qualifying round Northern Ireland Linfield 1–2, v 1–0 2–2 (a)
Second qualifying round Slovakia Inter Bratislava 0–0, v 0–1(aet) 0–1
2001–02 UEFA Champions League First qualifying round Malta Valletta FC 0–0, v 5–0 5–0
Second qualifying round Israel Maccabi Haifa 0–1, v 3–0[1] 3–1
Third qualifying round England Liverpool 0–5, v 1–4 1–9
2001–02 UEFA Cup First round Germany 1. FC Union Berlin 1–1, v 0–3 1–4
2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup First round Serbia and Montenegro FK Obilić 2–1, v 1–1 3–2
Second round England Fulham 0–0, v 1–1 1–1 (a)
2003–04 UEFA Cup Qualifying round Croatia Hajduk Split 2–1, v 0–1 2–2 (a)
2004–05 UEFA Cup First qualifying round Luxembourg Etzella Ettelbruck 2–1, v 3–1 5–2
Second qualifying round Norway Stabæk IF 1–3, v 1–3 2–6
2005–06 UEFA Champions League First qualifying round Armenia Pyunik F.C. 1–0, v 2–2 3–2
Second qualifying round Norway Vålerenga IF 0–1, v 1–4 1–5
2006–07 UEFA Cup First qualifying round Estonia Levadia Tallinn 0–2, v 1–0 1–2
2007–08 UEFA Cup First qualifying round Wales Rhyl 1–3, v 2–0 3–3 (a)
Second qualifying round Denmark FC Midtjylland 1–2, v 2–5 3–7
2008–09 UEFA Cup First qualifying round Republic of Ireland Cork City 2–2, v 4–0 6–2
Second qualifying round Denmark Brøndby IF 0–4, v 0–2 0–6

Divisional movements

Season to season

Season Level Division Section Administration Position Movements
1980 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th Championship Group 2nd
1981 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th Championship Group 3rd
1982 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd Championship Group 3rd
1983 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd Championship Group 3rd
1984 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Championship Playoffs 4th
1985 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
1986 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th
1987 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 9th
1988 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th Championship Group 6th
1989 Tier 1 Mestaruussarja (Premier Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th Championship Group 4th
1990 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th Playoffs – QF
1991 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
1992 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1993 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 10th Relegation Group 4th
1994 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
1995 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
1996 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 11th Relegation Group 11th – Relegated
1997 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Championship 1st – Promoted
1998 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd Third Round 1st – Champions
1999 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Championship Group 1st Champions
2000 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
2001 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
2002 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd Upper Group 3rd
2003 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
2004 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Champions
2005 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
2006 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
2007 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
2008 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
2009 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th
2010 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 8th
2011 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 10th
2012 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 12th Relegated
2013 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
2014 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th

Current squad

As of 21 April 2016[3]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Finland GK Tuomas Karjanlahti
3 Finland DF Jaakko Rantanen
4 Finland DF Eero-Matti Auvinen
5 Finland DF Juho Saarinen
6 Finland DF Mikko-Petteri Latosaari
7 Finland MF Jesse Ahonen
9 Nigeria FW Dudu Omagbemi
10 Finland MF Joni Mäkelä
11 Finland MF Erkka Helminen
13 Finland MF Jere Intala
14 Finland MF Anton Popovitch
16 Finland DF Aapo Mäenpää
No. Position Player
18 Finland FW Topi Järvi
19 Finland MF Tuomas Lähdesmäki
20 Finland MF Cheyne Fowler
21 Finland MF Niilo Mäenpää
22 Nigeria MF Emenike Mbachu
23 United States DF Etchu Tabe
26 New Zealand MF Chris James
27 Finland DF Jami Kyöstilä
30 Finland GK Joonas Immonen
34 Finland DF Henri Malundama
35 Finland GK Ville Kauppinen

Staff

Managers

References

  1. The original result of the second leg was a 2–1 victory to Maccabi Haifa, but Haka were awarded a 3–0 walkover victory after it was determined that Haifa had fielded two ineligible players.
  2. "Finland – Divisional Movements 1930–2009". RSSSF Archives. 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
  3. "Hakan edustusjoukkue kaudella 2016". fchaka.fi/ (in Finnish). FC Haka. Retrieved 21 April 2016.

External links

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